Manufacture of artificial flowers.



'L. MALSTROM.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FLOWERS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 1. I915.

Patented June 20, 1916.

Tue COLUMBIA PLANOORAI'II co., \VASIHNGTON. D. c,

LOUISE MALSTROLE, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFHJIAL FLOWERS.

Application filed. November 1, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUISE MALsTRoM, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in the Manufacture of Artificial Flowers, of which the following is a specification.

There are in vogue numerous methods of making artificial flowers, and has especial reference to the art of forming the petals thereof, with the object of making flowers or other artistic articles from textile fabrics in as near a perfect imitation of the natural product as possible.

There are in vogue numerous methods of making petals and two of the most common will be briefly adverted to to illustrate the difference, in their formation and effect, between these methods and that of the present invention. The first method involves the use of a folded strip of material, each opposite edge of which is folded upon itself to form the curl. The folded edges are held in form by a thread or other device passing through one of the folds of the strip, the other fold thereby obscuring the stitch. The second method, used generally for large flowers, consists in cutting the petals out of a strip of single faced material and cementing together two such petals, so that the faced surface will be outside. A number of petals thus made are then united in common fashion to form the flower. On account of the unnatural. thickness of the petals made according to either of these two methods, and the use of a thread or other device for holding in shape the curl, according to the first stated method, the flower, when made, is clumsy and ill-proportioned, and has all the appearance of artificiality.

An object of this invention, therefore, is to produce from ribbon, artificial flowers having all of the characteristic beauty and form of the natural. flower, and in which the flower petals retain their erectness without artificial awkwardness, yet are pliable for the purpose of facilitating the manual work of assembly without disturbing the grace of the formed petal.

The steps followed in the making of flowers according to my invention will be more clearly understood by referring to the ac companying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a view of a flower made according to my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 20, MPMS.

Serial No. 59,306.

view of a strip of material forming the petal blank, thedotted lines indicating the area of the adhesive substance applied thereto. Fig. 3 is an edge view, showing the blank folded and cemented together for the greater part of its length. and leaving two free edges. Fig. 4- is a plan view of the folded and ce mented blank showing the curl on opposite sides of the cemented end of the blank, and Fig. 5 is a plan view of a completed petal.

In carrying out this invention, a strip 1, of material, preferably ribbon, is coated on one side with a suitable adhesive, such as cement or paste, which covers the greater area of the surface, leaving thereby the two opposite ends 2 and 3 in their normally pliable state for subsequent formation. The strip thus coated is thereupon folded upon itself, as shown in Fig. 2, and pressed together so that the coated surfaces firmly adhere to each other. Before the cement or adhesive is thoroughly dry, the two opposite edges of the fold 4-, are wound over a. suitable forming instrument, as a needle, and at the most desirable and artistic angle to form the petal curls 5 and 6, shown in Fig. 3, whereupon the cement is allowed to dry and harden. Following the hardening of the cement, which gives to the curl a more or less permanent shape, without a rigid or stifl appearance, the free and pliable ends 2 and 3, are gathered, as shown in Fig. 5, to form the natural cup of the petal, the plaits being then held together by a thread or other means. A number of petals thus formed are then united into the assembled shape and kind of flower desired and sewed together, and the pliable ends, which. are uncemented, are subsequently set into a calyx.

Artificial petals made according to this method have all the appearance and thinness of a natural petal, and when united to form a flower, have, by reason of the pliable ends thereof, a natural flexibility.

What I claim is:

1. The method of making flower petals which consists in coating a portion of a strip of material with a suitable adhesive, folding the strip upon itself to cause the coated portions to adhere to each other, then shaping the petals to form.

2. The method of making flower petals which consists in coating a portion of a strip of material with a suitable adhesive, folding the strip upon itself to cause the v on one sideand for the greater area of the surface thereof with a cement, folding the strip upon itself to cause the coated portions to adhere to each other, shaping the tWo opposite edges of the cemented strip at the 10 fold thereof, and then gathering the uncemerited edges.

In testimony whereof I have set my hand in the presence of two Witnesses.

LOUISE MALSTROM. \Vitnesses A. B. SrMoNs,

FRANK NEWNI-IAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patent:

" Washington, D. 6-"

It is hereby certified that inLetters Patent No. 1,188,088, granted June 20, 1916,

upon the application of Louise Malstrorn, of San Diego, California, for an improvement in The Manufacture of Artificial Flowers, an error appears in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 1, 1ine 9, strike out the Words There are in vogue numerous methods and insert the Words My invention relates to the method; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 29th day of August, A. D., 1916.

F. W. H. CLAY,

Acting Commissioner of Patents.

[SEAL] 

